Card Swap Pals

I belong to quite a few craft related groups on Facebook. The newest group I joined I learned about through a group called Stamping Enablers. The group is called Card Swap Pals. I like swapping with others but I just don't do well if there is a theme as I really struggle with the constraints of that. I like to be able to just create whatever strikes my fancy. With this group you are assigned four swap pals and you can send all of them the same card or each something different and whatever type of card you want. This type of swap is right up my alley. Since this was my first time I decided to send four different cards. 

I want to back up a minute to the group I mentioned called Stamping Enablers. This group is by far one of the best groups I have ever joined! The group has grown to over 4200 members in a short amount of time. I have been in the group since it started. There are so many knowledgeable and wonderfully talented crafters from all over the world in this group. It's been a joy to be involved with such a wonderful people. You can join it by clicking here.

I like to create all kinds of random card fronts and then when I have a pile I make cards with them. This seems to work for me since I never really know what I want to make when I sit down and start crafting. It's also easier for me if I go craft with others. I don't feel like I have to get something done. 

The first card for one of my swap partners I created using a Tim Holtz layering stencil called wildflower. I used PaperTrey Ink white cardstock and I used worn lipstick distress ink. The sentiment and die cut is from WPlus9 called Hand Lettered Hello stamp set and Die. I stamped the hello sentiment with distress ink and embossed it with clear embossing powder and then die cut it. The sentiment "a note to say"was also stamped with distress ink and heat embossed with clear embossing powder. I used Cloud 9 Design rain drops for my bling. I matted the image using DCWV canvas.

This card was created using using the smooching technique. I saw this technique from an email newsletter I received from Kristina Werner. Here's the link to her blog post. This is a fun technique and I know I'll be using it a lot! The die cut and sentiment are both from Wplus9 called Hand Lettered Thanks. I heat embossed the sentiment with black embossing powder. The You die was cut using foam. The bling is Hero Arts Hues Decor. I used PTI cardstock for my base and watercolor cardstock for the smooching. The blue mat cardstock is by Recollections. I don't remember what distress inks I used for this card.

 

Again I used the smooching technique for this card. I don't remember what distress inks I used. The sentiment is from Unity Stamps called Storms Make Deeper Roots. I heat embossed the sentiment with white embossing powder. The base is PTI cardstock and the mat is by DCWV called The Jeweled Colored Cardstock Mattock. I also used watercolor cardstock.

This next card that was sent off to one of my swap partners is a technique I saw on the blog Pine Is Here. This was my first attempt and I loved it! I need to explore it a little more and go through my stamps to find more that will work. I used Hero Arts Delicate Leaf Cluster for the images. I heat embossed with white embossing powder. The distress ink I used is peeled paint. The die cut was cut from foam and is from Hero Arts called Thanks Stamp & Cut. I just used some pearls I had in my stash of supplies. Cardstock and base is from PTI. 

That's it for now. Time to start working on my swap cards for next month! I'll post the cards I receive.

Thanks for stopping by!

Unscripted Sketches #250

This may have been the easiest and fastest card I've ever made! I think it took me about 10 minutes. I was happy about that because I've been exhausted the last few weeks and have barely even been in my craft room at all. The Unscripted Sketch this week is a very easy one with tons of possibilities.

I used a Heidi Swapp stencil and Tim Holtz Distress Ink for my background dots. The circles were die cut using Nestabilities circle and lacey circles.  The sentiment is from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps and I used Rain Dots as my "bling". 

Be sure to stop by out check out all the other Design Team Members Blogs:

Adriana

Billie

Claire

Debbie

Henva

Kimberly

Michelle

Patty - that's me!

Rebecca

SarahKaye

Shir

Susan

Tammy

Tracey

Hope you'll join us this week with your take on the sketch above. All the details are on the blog post over at Unscripted Sketches! Thanks for stopping by!

Products Used For This Card:

Base Cardstock - PTI 

Ink - Tim Holtz Distress - Festive Berries, Ranger Archival - Jet Black

Gems: Cloud 9 Design Rain Dots - Red Rose

Stamp - Sweet 'n Sassy - Celebrate Today
Spellbinders - Lacey Circles, Standard Small Circles
Stencil - Heidi Swapp

Cards Using Cosmo Cricket Scraps + Washi Tape

 

I found a scrap of Cosmo Cricket cardstock in my stash that was large enough to make three cards. For this one I used the flower pattern and for the other two I used the striped side. I used washi tape on all three. Out of all of them, I think this one is my favorite! No special reason why, but I suspect it's the black that does it.

 

I stamped a flower and embossed it with white embossing powder. I love the center on this flower. It's the Newsprint Candi from Craftworkcards. 

I used glue dots on the buttons when I attached them to the washi tape. I've found that they don't adhere very well. This job called for the heavy duty hot glue gun!

Products used for these cards:
Patterned Paper: Cosmo Cricket
Washi Tape from various manufacturers
PTI in White and True Black
Sentiment: Hero Arts - Find Joy - CL497
Sentiment: Hero Arts - All Occasion - CL272
Tim Holtz Distress Ink Black Soot for edges
Memento Ink in Tuxedo Black for sentiment
Flower - Autumn Leaves - Rhonna Farrer - AL2586
Flower Center - Candi from Craftworkcards - Newsprint
Cloud9 Design Rain Dots
Bakers Twine
Buttons
White Embossing Powder

This post is linked to:
Link It Up Thursday

Thanks for stopping by!

Fusion {Hypothesis #2} Challenge

Whew! Just finished my card for the Fushion Card Challenge! We've had company the last few days so I haven't had as much time as usual to craft. When I saw this sketch I knew I wanted to participate and thankfully I got it done by the skin of my teeth!

I been trying to use some of my older patterned paper up. For the maroon paper I found a sheet called Cinnamon Stick from Cloud 9 Design in my stash. I pair it with a sheet called Spook Alley from Making Memories. You'd never know that is was Halloween paper!

I used my EK Success open scallop punch for the edges. The circles were cut with the small scalloped circle Nestabilities. For the paw prints I used a stamp set from Our Daily Bread Designs called Paw Prints. I also used another of their stamps for the inside sentiment. It reads: With sympathy for your Faithful and Loyal Friend. The sentiment on the front of the card is from Hero Arts - With Sympathy - CL476. The cardstock for the base of the card is from PTI in Kraft.

My card is linked here:

I've also linked to these parties:

Inspiring Creativity

Whatever Goes Wednesday

Thanks for stopping by!

Dog Mini Album

I finally finished the dog mini album I was working on! It's very similar to the cat mini album that I blogged about last week. You can see that one here. Same concept, just the inside is different.

Here's a view from the top. I didn't use the spiral wires this time, I went with the original wires that are used with the Cinch. I think I like them better.

There are 10 inside pages. I also included four photo mats that are bound in between some of the pages. I used Nestabilities small circles and labels one and Sizzix scalloped squares and fancy labels for these photo mats.

A quote has been added to the back of one of the mats. On the yellow mat above I used a Sizzix die called strips that I've had for quite awhile.

I used the bracket punch from EK Success for the belly bands on these two pages. Each holds two photo mats and a tag with a dog quote.

This is another page with a mat in between the pages that can be used for a photo, memorabilia or journaling.

On this page and the previous one I used Sizzix photo corners #2. I also adhered both mats with foam dots to add dimension.

The paper collection used for this book is called The Pets Stack from DCWV. It's the same one I used for the cat mini album.

I used a sticker from K&Company for the 'i heart my dog'. I backed it with cardstock and used foam dots to pop it off the page.

On the last two pages I made diagonal pockets that hold two photo mats and a tag with a quote. I love the colors in the plaid paper!

This is the final page. All the quotes used throughout the book are from a stamp set from Cloud9 Design - Fiskars called Simple Thoughts - Dog.

This post is linked to these parties: Made by you Monday, Craft-O-Maniac Monday, Make it Great Monday, Tuesday Confessional, Take-A-Look Tuesdays, Inspiring Creativity, What I Whipped Up Wednesday, Saturday Showcase

Thanks for looking!